Blog

Studio Issues

Half-heartedly started organizing the studio. It needs a thorough once-over.
I'm trying not to obsess about the insulation smell, but as the days get hotter the smell intensifies. Whenever the temperature goes over 70 degrees, the insulation emits a powerful musty odor that makes it impossible to work inside. 15 minutes of fresh air usually clears it all out but the thought of removing it at my own expense and labor is overbearing and rage-inducing. I sheeted the ceiling with plastic and sealed it with duct tape but this seems to make the smell worse by limiting ventilation. The garage is frigid for six months of the year and full of toxic odor the other six.

Should I suck it up, make work, and ignore these issue(s)? Ventilate (or heat, depending on the season) the space before working, accept the fact that it is a flawed and temporary-feeling space? Or address the issues? Move everything out of the garage, rip out the insulation, drywall the ceiling, rewire the electric, re-insulate?

Neither option has been palatable for me over the last 18 months. So I paint outside, driving an hour away or more to make work and avoid the problem.